Connections Podcast

There are a number of factors that could lead to a possible eviction crisis. The pandemic has put many people out of work, and now additional federal support for unemployment has run out. Advocates say something has to be done very soon or the crisis will hit Western New York. Our guests discuss it: Alex Turner, eviction prevention representative to the Homeless Services Network , and community resource services program director at Catholic Family Center Mark Muoio , program director of the

21 years ago this month, the NAACP was advocating a boycott of the major television networks. That's because the networks had just released their fall schedules. 26 new shows would be hitting the airwaves that year, and not a single one of them featured a star or prominent character of color. For African American leaders in particular, enough was enough. The networks promised to change. In some ways, they have: there are more African American and Latino leads than ever before. But in many other

Most colleges and universities are planning to welcome students back to campus in just a few weeks. The schools bring a range of approaches – from testing to quarantines to allowing for remote learning. There is no single handbook for running higher education during a pandemic, but most universities in the Rochester/Finger Lakes region believe they can do it with sufficient safety and planning. So what are those plans? We hear the approach from four different institutions. Our guests: Beth Paul

Kodak has won a $765 million government loan to make generic drugs. How did this happen? The answer is stranger than you might think, and it has a local connection. Todd Moss worked for the State Department under President George W. Bush, is an author, and is doing global affairs work that helped bring a bipartisan solution to a question about the federal government: how can the U.S. invest overseas appropriately? They found a situation, but how did the money get back to Kodak? Was it the right

The CEO of Nationwide Insurance says the company is moving to a permanent work-from-home model. Nationwide found that since March, when everyone went home to work, things have gone so well that they don’t need to open their five regional offices. It’s a permanent change. The CEO told NPR that people are thanking him in droves; he says it’s the right decision, it’s cheaper for the company, and it’s more efficient for the workers. Is that the future for more companies? Post-pandemic, how many

Local author Melanie Conroy-Goldman says there’s always a bit of darkness in a true friendship. That’s certainly true of the characters featured in her debut novel, “The Likely World.” It’s the story of a single mom named Mellie who’s in the early days of her recovery from a fictional drug called cloud. The substance causes short term memory loss in users, and when Mellie first tries it at age 16, the consequences of her addiction 20 years later are unimaginable. As an adult, her past upends her

This is not turning out to be the summer that many college graduates anticipated. For those who expected to jump right into the workforce, many doors have closed due to the pandemic. Internships have dried up. Career fairs are canceled. Phone calls are not returned. The unemployment rate for 20-somethings is significantly higher than the general population. So what can new graduates do? How long is this going to last? Research shows that graduates in some fields are already ditching their career

Author Alyssa Shelasky recently wrote for the New York Times about the drying up of her libido during the pandemic. No one, she writes, is having "COVID sex." And while her piece carried a humorous edge, sex therapists say there are serious questions about sex and dating during the pandemic. What's the right approach? What's safe? Our guests offer a new roadmap to sex and dating for the foreseeable future. Our guests: Dr. Pebble Kranz , M.D., sexual medicine specialist at the Rochester Center

Two weeks ago, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp sued the city of Atlanta to prevent it from enforcing a mask-wearing requirement. This comes as an increasing number of cities and states are mandating people wear face coverings in public. Stores and businesses across the country have such requirements, but how many are effectively enforcing those policies? When should masks be required indoors and outdoors? Who is eligible for an exemption? Our guests this hour discuss mask etiquette: Dr. Marielena

Friday is the deadline for school districts across New York State to submit plans for reopening in September. We've heard from superintendents and doctors; this hour we talk to parents about their expectations, hopes, and concerns. Districts have to solve complex challenges: how to bus students while physical distancing? How to have lunch differently? How much remote learning to engage with? What kind of sick policy is appropriate? Our guests debate it from the parent perspective: Chad Barbe